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Justice Department Appeals Ruling That Halted Kennedy’s Vaccine Overhaul

The appeal sets up a test of how far the administration can change vaccine guidance through a reworked advisory panel.

Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies during a House hearing on April 17, 2026.
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Overview

  • The Justice Department filed its appeal Wednesday, sending the case to the First Circuit and listing Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate on the filing.
  • Judge Brian Murphy’s March 16 order found the CDC’s vaccine advisory committee unlawfully constituted, barred 13 members from serving, and voided the panel’s earlier votes.
  • In January, HHS and the CDC cut the routine childhood schedule from 18 diseases to 11, dropping hepatitis A and B, RSV, dengue, and two kinds of bacterial meningitis.
  • The ruling forced the CDC advisory group to postpone a planned meeting and left its agenda on hold, affecting guidance that shapes clinic practice and what insurers cover.
  • The health department revised the advisory committee’s charter in April to add fields like toxicology and pediatric neurodevelopment, a shift supporters say backs Kennedy’s contested picks.